Bearing.



BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1.0, 1913.

M x @ses 6fm/els.

` Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

s SHEBTs-sHBBT 1.

J. A. WINTROATH.

BEARING. APPLICATION FILED rms. 1o, 191s.

Patented ivov. 25 1913 a SHEETS-SHEET?.

wg. a

J. A. WIN TROATH.4 BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB'. 10I 1913. 1,079,680. Y

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

a SHEETS-@BBT s.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.'

JOHN A. WINTRQATH, or ILos ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AssIeNoR To LAYNE & BoWLEE' CORPORATION, or Los ANGELES, cALrronNrA, A coRPonATroN or cALrFonNm.

BEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.'

Application filed February io, 1913.- seriai 115.747,574.

To all? y'1v/1.0m it mag/.concern :l

Be it known that I, Jol-1N A. VVINTEOATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at -Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles driven by a vertical shaft extending down through the well pit. This shaft is usually supported above by a primary bearing, and a belt pulley for driving said shaft is located above said primary bearing. A secl ond bearing, often called a top bearing,

because the same is sometimes located above the primary bearing, is provided for supporting said shaft against the belt pull on the aforesaid belt pulley.

The support for the top bearing vis usually independent of, or remote from, the support for the primary bearing, and these two bearings are connected by a series of elements joined to each other by machined surfaces. The nature of this connection is usually such as would require an altogether impractical'degree of line machining on the connecting elements in order to secure perfect axial alinemen't between the primary bearing and th'e top bearing if the position of the latter were unadjustable. Also the support for the top bearing rests upon a pit head which, in turn, derives its support usually by resting. upon a pit casing, and by lapping over the surroundingearth onto a suitable cement foundation, as will be hereinafter described. In the country where wells of this construction are sunk4 it is a frequent occurrence that the soils, sands, clays, etc., into which the well mechanism penetrates, shift and settle in'such fashion as to force the axis of the aforesaid shaft out of -a true vertical line, and accordingly difficulty would be experienced in maintaining the top bearing in axial alinement with the shaft if said bearing were not suitably adjustable.

My invention relates to anovel practical bearing which is of general application, but which gives its` most satisfactory services when used as atop bearing for well mechanisn'i as above described.

The novel bearing has positive provision for delicate adjustment transversely of the shaft axis, so that the elements connecting same to the primary bearing need be maf' chined with an ordinary degree of accuracy only; and the novel bearing also has provision for automatic axial alinement with the shaft so as to automatically and easily accommodate. itself to the shaft as .the same is forced from a true alinement by the shifting and settling of the soil and sands as previously described.

The accompanying dra-wings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a partial sectional elevation showing one form of well and pumping in` stallation including the novel bearing em bracing this invention.v Fig. 2 is a large sectional elevationof the upper portion of the installation shown inrFig. .1," and displays the details of my bearing as applied to the` same. Fig. 3 is a` plan view of the installation as shown in Fig. 2, my bearing being l shown inV section along line w3, Fig. 2.

In the form of .well andpumping installation shown in Fig. 1, a cylindrical drum 1 termed a pit casing, is often sunk several hundred feet -into the ground, and to its" l lower extremity is screened and perforated well casing 2, which extends down into the water bearingfsands and -gravels A rotary pump 3 is locatedili said pit casing, and comprises a stationary casing tl and a rotary impeller 5. The ycasing 4 is connected below to a suction pipe6` extending down into well casing 2;' and the casing 4 is'connected above to a conduit7, the upper extremity 8 of which is screwed into a discharge fitting 9, Fig. 2, whereby said conduit and casing are sus ended from the discharge fitting. The bo ts 10 secure the discharge fitting 9 to a pit head 11 positioned at the earths surface 11', and which pit head rests upon the pit casing 1 and laps over, as at 12, onto a cement foundation 13. In order to center the pit head upon the pit casin and to prevent the transverse sliding o 4one of these members over the other, the lower face of the former is provided. with an annular projection 14, the

inner' tapering face 15 of which is adapted to wedge dowriover pit casing 1.

The rotary pump impeller 5 is secured to, and supported by, a shaft 16, which extends usually coupled t ioov upward through the pumping conduit 7 and which 'is supported above the surface of the l earth in a primary bearing 17, Fig, 2. r1 he casing 18 containing said primary bearing bearing casin is provided at its lowerextremitywith the usual conventional and machined oisetseats v19 which rest upon, and which by means of cap screyvs 2O are secured to similar butconversely' formed` offset' seats on the upper face of discharge'titting 9, and by this provision accurate -axial ahnement between bearingv casing 18 and the discharge fitting 9 is secured. .-A-web 21 extends medially across 18 and is formed centrally with a cylindricaljupstanding lug 22 having an upper concave seat 23 and' having an enlarged central aperture 24 surrounding shaft l 16. A bearing or bearing member 25 is supported on theA upstanding lug 22 and is pro` vided withaJ convex projecting seat 26 adapted to ride in the concave seat 23. The bearing member 25 may be made o f any suitable bearing material,'and is provided with an internal bearingapert-ure which is adapted toembrace an supportJ shaft 16 y against transverse force. To the upper part u collar 30 is provided with i prising the .hub cap 36,

of kbearing member 25 is securd another member27 Ahaving an'annular wheel race 28, and a series of anti-friction wheels 29,- carried by a revolublecollarvSO, are adapted to"y rotate in the ,wheel race 28. The revoluble 31, in which the member 32 runs withshaft 16, the latter member supporting said 'shaft and all ther weight carried by same in a manner ,now to be described.

The belt pulley 33 has a split hub 34', comhub'body 35 and theiremovable which embraces shaft 16,'.and which are rigidly bound onto same by means of the hub bolts 37. The pulley hub is 'attached `to the pulley rim .38, and the projection 39 extending downward from said hub rests upon member 32; and is rotatively inned to same by a pin 40. Above the pu ley hub `34 the shaft 16 is threaded as at 41, and a lock-nut 42 is screwed onto the shaft threads 41. to lock by means `of a web said shaft onto the pulley and to transmit they weight of the shaft and part supported by same tothe pulley hubs and thence to the member 32. It will be understood that :52 throu a central aperture i conduit 7, and to ber 32 tothe wheelfs`29 to the member 27 of the primary bearing 17'.

` rIIhe tension of the ley 33 will be considerable. and in order to relieve primary bearing 17 from its severe side thrust, and to relieve the upper extremity of the shaft from the bending tendency occasioned'by said belt tension, the upper extremity 44 of said shaft is supported in `the top bearing generally referred to as 45,

Fig. 2, this top bearin being supported vby legs 46as follows 'he legs 46 are machined yabove and below at 47 and 48, respectively, and are attachedabove to the machine pads 49 on a plate 50, and are attached below to the machine pads 51 of the pit head 11, the top bearing being carried accordingly bythe plate and the legs l46. -The plate 5() carries upshtanding lugs which passes the adjusting screws 53 carrying lock-nuts 54. The bearing head 55 is provided with a downwardly extending ange 56 which rests against the upper or supporting face of the plate 50. Said adjusting screws bear agalnst this flan e, and said head is also provided with va cy indrical upstanding projection 57, having an enlarged cylindrical. aperture .58,

which aperture terminates above in the concave seat 59. The element 60 constitutes the -be'arin or bearing' member proper, .and is forme internally with a central bearing aperture 6L into which the shaft extremity 44 fits nicely, and

formed conversely to the said concave seat. Below the convex projection 62 the bearing member 60 is formed withv the` cylindrical drum 63, the vexternal diameter of which'sfsmaller than the internal diameter of aperture 5.8 through bearing head 55.' l.

As indicated in Fig. 3 the concave seat 59 and the convex projection and continuous around the laxis of the shaft and are fashioned in a manner resembling a balland socket connection, wherefrom it is clear that said bearing member may roll somewhation the concave seat 59 so as to aline; itself-'automatically and universally with; respect to the shaft, especially when the same, for any reason, `deviates from a true vertical line.

When the shaft rotates there may be a tendency for the bearing member 60 to rise o the concave seat 59', and to avoid this the cap 64 having on its lower face a concave seat 65 is fastened down onto the convex projection 62, said fastening being uecomplished by means of cap screws 66, which screw into the bearing head 55, and said fastening constitutin means whereby said bearing member may e secured to said bearbelt as it drives pulsaid bearlng member is formed externallywith a convex projection'.

'62, the latter being concave seat 59, and being adapted to lie in' 62 are complete scat 79 inv said bearing melnber. v

ing head. The bearing`V head in turn is secured to the plate 50 by means of bolts 67 passing through the enlarged apertures GS and 65) of said bearing head and plate respectively.

In order to protect the top bearing from dust and moisture, the same is inclosed by`a cover pl'ate 70 and a casing 71 risingr from the' bearing head and in order to reduce the friction between shaft extremity 44 and bearing member (i0 a lubricating system, now to be desorilwd, installed.

A bowl 72 surrounds the shaft, and by means of set screw 73 is locked onto said shaft, so as to rotate with the same. Lubricating oil, not shown in' the figures, is supplied in tlie/ oil chamber 74 of said bowl, and as the latterrotates rapidly with the shaft, the oil near the outer periphery of said bowl will be subject to a high centrif ugal pressure, From a collar 75, screwed onto the lower portion of bearing member G0, a short pipo 76 extends outward toward the region where the oil is under high centrifugal pressure. The outer extremity of said pipe is beveled off at 77 and the inner extremity communicates with the aperture 78 'rising through the bearingr member 60, and opening. above intothe concaved oil Since the bearing member (it), and consequently the projecting pipe 7G, remains stationary, the oil under high centrifugal pressure will rush into the beveled pipe aperture- 77 and .will force, itself upward through aperture 7S into the oil scat 79A formed in the upper face of bearing member (S0, from which the oil will be supplied downward along shaft extremity 14 in an obvious manner.

lV ith a. top bearing as above constructed,

it will be noticed that in machining pads 512'" 'Ihis transverse adjust-ment is delicate and member 60 against. the shaft extremity 44 in a direction opposite Kto the belt tension on said shaft, and as said` crowding continues said shaft extremity will wear into the crowdingsideof bearing aperture til. "hen the 'crowdiingside of said bearing aperture becomes worn in this wise it is merely necessary vto slightly rotate said bearing member about the axis of the shaftthe concave seat 59 in' the bearing head being so constructed as to permit-said rotation. '.l`his will bring a new and unworn portion of the bearing aperture (il into position where same may. in its turn. be Crowded against shaft extremity 4l, as before stated, until said new portion has .been eorrespondingly worn. ly successively rotating bearing member 60 as aforesaid, after the last bearing portion has been slight-1y worn it is clear that each and every portion of the bearing aperture (il, and con-y sequently the Whole bearing member (it), are in turn available for withstanding the crowding strain imposed on the same. B this construction, therefore,` tlie life of the whole bearing member -60 may be used, and same is almost unlimited. 1t will be also noticed that thefeature Iwhereby bearing member 60 automatically alines itself universally and automatically with respect to the axis ot' the shaft is imperative to the successful operation of a top bearing used in connection with well pumping installatioin beca-use of the several conditions which conspire separately and collectively to force t-he shaft out of a vertical line. The more prominent of these conditions will now be stated.

lVhen the drill bit bores into the earth to start the aperture into which pit casinfr 1 is ultimately set, the said bit often stri :es a boulder or other hard spot in its path and is deflected by same away from a true vertical line. Accordingly when lthe pit casing 1 is set into the aperture started by said bit the pit casing, and consequently the shaft 16, will assume a. posit-ion correspondingly deflected away from a true vertical line,` `The foundation 13 usually being level the' bearing,r member 60 would ,ordinarily stand vertically, but because of its self-alining feature the, -same will accommodate itself to the' slant of the shaftI and will automatically aline itself therewith. Also, the soils, clays, gravels, etc., linto which the well and pumping mechanism penetrate, frequently heave, shift or settle wlierebyithe pit casingor the pit head move so as to throw the top fbearing totally out of 'alinement with respect to the shaft extremity 44. (')n this accountl it is imperative thatit-he bearing member 6() shall be automatically alinable wit-h the axis of said shaft extremity, for otherwise the same might: run hot and destro itself before the trouble is detected. A so, be-

ltothe shaft in order that saidl discrepancies and adj ustably mounted on said plate, adjusting screws for positively adjusting said head inv any horizontal direction whatsoever, a

cause of zthe large discrepancies between the shaft and bearing alinement, which are sometimes caused by the aforesaid shifting" of the soils, etc., it is imperative that the bearing member 60 be both adjustable transversely Wit-h respect tothe shaft and be automatically alinable axially with respect head, said bearing member being adapted to support. said shaft transversely, and said bearing member bein adapted to universally and automatically a ine itself with respect to the axis of said shaft.

3. In combination, a relatively stationary horizontal late having a supporting face, a vertical s aft, a bearing head su ported by said face so as to be slidable on tie same in any .horizontal direction whatsoever, means for positively sliding said head on the said supporting face so as to adjust said head in any horizontal direction whatsoever, a bearing member carried by said bearin head, said bearing member being adapte to support said shaft transversely, bearing member being adapted to universally and automatically aline itself with respect to the axis of said shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have. hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this twenty-first day of December 1912.

JOHN A..WINTROATH.

In presence of- PAUL D. Bowman. ROBERT A. STEPS.

may be adequately counteract/ed. I

In vievv of the foregoing detail' description it is believed that the construction, operation and utility of thef novel bearing embracing the invention Will beclear.

I claim 1. In combination, a relatively stationary horizontal plate having a .supporting face,y a vertical shaft, a bearing head movably supported on` said supporting. face, means for .positively movingandradjusting said bearing head around 'on saidfsup n orting face, and transversely of. said Vsh: t-,. and a bearing member supported on said'bearinghead, said'lo'earing member being adapted to support said shaft-transversely, and said bearing member being adapted to universally and automatically aline itself with respect to thea-Xis of said shaft.

2. In combination, a relativelystationary horizontal plate, a vertical sha t extending .1p through said plate, a bearing head slidably and said bearing member supported on said bearing 

